‘I’ll Never be the Same Kid I Was’: Munder Family’s Lives One Year after Release from Captivity

November 29, 2024

by: Yael Ciechanover, Ziv Koren ~ Ynetnews

Friday, 29 November 2024 | Three generations of the Munder family were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 last year: Avraham and Ruti, residents of the kibbutz, along with their daughter Keren and her son Ohad, who had come from Kfar Saba to visit for the Sukkot [Feast of Tabernacles] holiday.

Keren’s brother, Roi, was murdered that day. Ruti, Keren and 10-year-old Ohad were released a year ago in the hostage release deal, while 79-year-old Avraham remained in Gaza. In August, his body was discovered in a tunnel in Khan Younis, recovered and returned to Israel, where he was laid to rest in the kibbutz [collective community] he called home.

Ohad Munder Zachri, now only ten years old, describes adjusting to a new normal. Old habits and hobbies have been left behind. “I’ll never be the same kid I was. I don’t go to school as much. I’ve also temporarily stopped attending the gifted students program. It’s hard for me to stay home alone, something I used to love,” he shares.

“We marked the day we returned—it’s a significant day for me. I returned from captivity, the most horrific and impactful experience of my life,” Ohad continues. Reflecting on the past year, he adds, “This year has been incredibly complex.” He spent his ninth birthday on October 23, 2023, in Hamas captivity, a day when many Israelis flew balloons across the country in his honor.

Keren recounts that even after returning from Gaza with her son, finding moments of peace has been difficult. “I felt I needed to bring color and light into our home, so we decided to renovate. It was something to hold onto during those tough days waiting for my father,” she shares.

“There’s nothing we used to do regularly that we continue to do the same way. And if we do, it’s without the same joy. Nothing has healed—returning from captivity as only three out of the family, losing a brother and a father in this ongoing war and so many from the Nir Oz community where I grew up, many of whom feel like family.

“When we returned, I was surprised by the reception in Israel,” she admits. “The level of attention, the extended family’s detailed attention. But even now, I still can’t fathom the failure that took place that Saturday along the border fence,” she adds.

“The massive blow to Kibbutz Nir Oz, which continues with a third of the hostages still being members of the kibbutz.”

When it comes to dreams for the future, Keren and Ohad imagine a different reality—one where the hostages return home and their community finally begins to truly heal. “We’re still at war, worrying about the soldiers fighting bravely and the hostages whose return we demand.”

“I want to live a safe life in this country. Lawmakers must act with the well-being of all its citizens in mind—and above all, those children, civilians and soldiers who were violently and cruelly abducted to Gaza.

“They’re in there without protection, stripped of their rights and their lives have been in real danger for nearly 14 months. This must end before we lose them all inside the rubble. I want to close my eyes and wake up to the news that everyone is coming back. Only then can we turn to commemorating our loved ones,” Keren explains.

“Kibbutz Nir Oz will rise again with substantial state assistance after the state failed to protect us, so my mother and others can return to live there safely,” she says. “There’s so much to rebuild in the south and north and even more in people’s hearts. We deserve leadership that gives our children hope.”

Ohad concludes: “I want there to be a ceasefire, for all the hostages to come back safely, for all the soldiers to return safely and for Israel to be a country of peace.”

Posted on November 29, 2024

Source: (Excerpt of an article originally published by Ynetnews on November 28, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

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